by Rebecca Walker — May 26, 2010—Engineers across the country have begun assessing the energy use of selected buildings as part of a pilot program designed to encourage the building industry to cut energy use and costs.
The Building Energy Quotient program, which is known as Building EQ, includes both As Designed (asset) and In Operation (as operational) ratings for all building types, except residential. It also provides a detailed certificate with data on actual energy use, energy demand profiles, indoor air quality and other information that will enable building owners to evaluate and reduce their buildings energy use. The program is administered by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
Seventeen provisional assessors have been named by ASHRAE to assess energy use, which is then provided in an easily understood scale to convey a building’s energy use in comparison to similar buildings, occupancy types and climate zone. Building owners also are given building-specific information that can be used to improve building energy performance.
For more information, see the ASHRAE Web site.
